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Learning Goals and Outcome Assessment
Russian language courses are designated with the RUSSA abbreviation in Cornell's Catalog of Courses, e.g. RUSSA 1121. The number reflects the level of language study: RUSSA 1121 is the course for beginners, and RUSSA 6634 is our most advanced course. Each of these courses (or course sequences) has a specific set of goals and an expected learning outcome.
The goal references below use the so-called ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines that may also be viewed at the LTI site. ACTFL is the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, http://www.actfl.org. LIT is Language Testing International, http://www.languagetesting.com/.
Although some variation in linguistic achievement is normal, completing the following courses is expected to result in these proficiency levels:
  • 1121 in the Fall and 1122 in the Spring: writing - Novice; speaking - Novice High
  • 2203 in the Fall and 2204 in the Spring: writing - Intermediate; speaking - Intermediate Mid
  • 3303 in the Fall and 3304 in the Spring: writing - Advanced; speaking - Advanced Low to Advanced Mid
  • 4413 in the Fall and 4414 in the Spring: writing - better than Advanced; speaking - better than Advanced Mid
  • 6633 in the Fall and 6634 in the Spring: writing - approaching Superior; speaking - Advanced High
Evaluation of the students' progress is done continuously in each course by weekly tests, written homework, online and other computer-based assignments, daily performance in class, and in most courses, a final examination. Please see individual course descriptions under Courses for detailed information.
Our teaching is adjusted or changed when we decide that a change is in order. To guide us in this process, we use anonymous online course evaluations that may be submitted at any time during the semester; hand-written anonymous course evaluations at the end of each course; and detailed surveys every time we make a significant modification to a course.
 
 
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Web site by Slava Paperno. Visual design by Tomasz "Mucha" Pracel. See site visit statistics.
Dept. of Comparative Literature • Russian Language Program • 240 Goldwin Smith Hall • Cornell University • Ithaca, NY 14853-4701, USA
tel. 607/255-4155 • fax 607/255-8177 • email slava.paperno@cornell.edu